Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America

by Andrea Pinkney Narrated by Phil Morris, Adam Gifford, Zeno Robinson, Kyle Chapple, Ron Butler, Mela Lee

Overview

In this New York Times Notable Children's Book and winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award, follow the life stories of ten Black men in American history and the legacies they left that forever changed the country.

Hand in Hand presents the stories of ten men from different eras in American history, organized chronologically to provide a scope from slavery to the modern day. The stories are accessible, fully-drawn narratives offering the subjects' childhood influences, the time and place in which they lived, their accomplishments and motivations, and the legacies they left for future generations as links in the "freedom chain." This book will be the definitive family volume on the subject, punctuated with dynamic full color portraits and spot illustrations by two-time Caldecott Honor winner and multiple Coretta Scott King Book Award recipient Brian Pinkney. Backmatter includes a civil rights timeline, sources, and further reading.

Profiled:

• Benjamin Banneker
• Frederick Douglass
• Booker T. Washington
• W.E.B. DuBois
• A. Philip Randolph
• Thurgood Marshall
• Jackie Robinson
• Malcolm X
• Martin Luther King, Jr
• Barack H. Obama II

Editorial Reviews

NOVEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

In alternating chapters, five talented male voices portray 10 African-American men. This collection moves through American history from the colonial era to the present day. The diversity of voices and accents reflects the men’s backgrounds with respect to places of origin and education. With fascinating accounts of familiar role models ranging from author Benjamin Banneker to Barack Obama, the narrators create compelling portraits, injecting heart and soul into the details of the biographies. But the standout is Mela Lee, whose rich, sonorous female voice narrates the introduction and the praise songs that open each chapter, bringing even more passion and reverence to the subject matter and perfectly matching the cadence of Pinkney’s poetic words. S.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

The New York Times Book Review

…beautifully written book…the entire volume is movingly enhanced by poetry and by the inviting, creative illustrations of Brian Pinkney, the author's husband…Hand in Hand provides a light that could help guide men out of the darkness in which all too many are forced to live.
—Charlayne Hunter-Gault

Publishers Weekly

Ten influential black men—including Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King Jr.—are profiled in this husband-and-wife team’s vibrant collaboration. Andrea Davis Pinkney introduces her subjects with powerful poems, before moving into image-rich, introspective, and candid descriptions of each man’s influence on civil rights, culture, art, or politics: “ thought carefully about some of the beliefs he’d held in the past, and how they supported the idea that he’d been brainwashed by whites. For example, straightening his hair was Malcolm’s attempt to deny his black heritage by trying to look ‘more white.’” Brian Pinkney’s portraits of each man echo the multidimensional prose with their bold strokes and dynamic swirls of color. An examination of Barack Obama’s life and presidential election carries readers into the present day, placing the achievements of those who came before him into perspective. Though the text-heavy format may initially daunt some readers, the inviting narrative voice and eloquent portrayal of these iconic men and the times in which they lived make for memorable reading. Ages 9–12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.)

From the Publisher

"A unique historical approach, superbly handled."—Walter Dean Myers

"[The] stories in this beautifully written book are equally fascinating, and entire volume is movingly enhanced by poetry and by the inviting, creative illustrations of Brian Pinkney."—New York Times

"The inviting narrative and eloquent portrayal of these iconic men and the times in which they lived make for memorable reading."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—This book is similar in scope to the author's Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters (Harcourt, 2000. The subjects here include Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, A. Philip Randolph, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama, all introduced in the author's characteristically lively prose ("Black students kept on keeping on with dog-eared textbooks and dog-tired feet"; Malcolm Little's hair was transformed from "pretty-boy cotton-kink to slick-daddy bone-straight"). The distinct experiences that shaped each man are ably delineated-the childhood events, the hardships faced, the richly deserved victories won-and the results are, without exception, compelling. The large font size is perfect for the middle-grade audience, but too many blocks of unbroken text may turn away less-confident readers. Thankfully, Brian Pinkney's magnificent portraits and spot art throughout each profile help to amplify each man's story. A must-have for all libraries serving young people.Sam Bloom, Blue Ash Library, Cincinnati, OH

NOVEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

In alternating chapters, five talented male voices portray 10 African-American men. This collection moves through American history from the colonial era to the present day. The diversity of voices and accents reflects the men’s backgrounds with respect to places of origin and education. With fascinating accounts of familiar role models ranging from author Benjamin Banneker to Barack Obama, the narrators create compelling portraits, injecting heart and soul into the details of the biographies. But the standout is Mela Lee, whose rich, sonorous female voice narrates the introduction and the praise songs that open each chapter, bringing even more passion and reverence to the subject matter and perfectly matching the cadence of Pinkney’s poetic words. S.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Addressing the appetites of readers "hungry for role models," this presents compellingly oratorical pictures of the lives and characters of 10 African-American men who exemplify a "birthright of excellence." Each of the chronologically arranged chapters opens with a tone-setting praise song and a commanding close-up portrait. From Benjamin Banneker, whose accusatory letter to slaveholder Thomas Jefferson "socked it straight / to the secretary of state," to Barack Obama, who "turned Yes, we can! into a celebration call," the gallery is composed of familiar names. Instead of rehashing well-chewed biographical fodder, though, the author dishes up incidents that shaped and tested her subjects' moral and intellectual fiber along with achievements that make her chosen few worth knowing and emulating. Carping critics may quibble about the occasional arguable fact and an implication that Rosa Parks' protest was spontaneous, but like Malcolm X, Pinkney has such "a hot-buttered way with words" that her arguments are as convincing as they are forceful, and her prose, rich as it is in rolling cadences and internal rhymes, never waxes mannered or preachy. A feast for readers whose eyes are (or should be) on the prize, in a volume as well-turned-out as the dapper W.E.B. Dubois, who was "more handsome than a fresh-cut paycheck." (timeline, index, lists of recommended reading and viewing) (Collective biography. 10-15)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173303028
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	06/08/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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